


Those Dark Days

by Uthizaar



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Assassin Theo Raeken, Black Operations, Conversations, Dialogue Heavy, Gabe's Death, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Minor Theo Raeken/Corey Bryant, Partially Reformed Theo Raeken, Post-Series, Reunions, Self-Reflection, Theo Raeken Centric, Theo Raeken Works for the CIA, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 02:30:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15329754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uthizaar/pseuds/Uthizaar
Summary: "It started in blood, and it ended in blood. It always ends in blood."Theo reflects on everything that has happened to him since the end of the war with the hunters and the Anuk-Ite. It has been many years since he has returned to Beacon Hills, an upcoming reunion lingers on his mind even as he completes a post-operation evaluation with a familiar face.Spoilers for 6B, especially 620!





	Those Dark Days

**Author's Note:**

> This story came from an idea I had while watching the final episode as almost a way of dealing with _Teen Wolf_ ending. It's a conversation Theo is having with another character and they talk about several different topics across the story. Rated M for mature themes, but there is no smut in this story.

“Good afternoon, Theo, take a seat.”

“Thanks.” The chimera nodded and sat down in the familiar leather-covered chair. The office was the same as always too; a quiet corner in a non-descript building that could be in any country across the Western World. A potted plant stood in one alcove, leaves so green they appeared plastic, while slatted blinds hung down over the double glazed windows; the noise from the cars and trucks on the street below were diminished to a low density hum that he probably wouldn’t have been able to hear if he was just a human. 

The person across from him was familiar too, in both a professional and personal way. That made their meetings more awkward at times, and yet there was no one else that Theo knew who could listen to him talk about the two worlds he inhabited; human and supernatural. It was a service and the agency were paying for it, but Theo was suspicious that the listener got something more valuable than dollars out of their sessions. He shifted in his seat, looking expectantly at the loose collar rather than the face, not entirely eager to begin.

“Ever the observer, hmm, Theo? No desire to start the conversation yourself?”

“I was just wondering what we were going to talk about today.” Theo shrugged, eyes lingering on the immobile pen held in one hand, legs crossed to support the notepad. Sometimes he wondered what was written there, but mostly the chimera didn’t linger on what they discussed in this room. It was part of his job to come here and talk and _decompress,_ as they called it, Theo never felt like he needed to however; he never had any doubts about his orders or the targets that had to be dealt with. “The mission was a success; all hostiles eliminated.”

“I heard about the…explosion on the news.” The previously neutral tone shifted to one of mild disapproval. “Though I’m not sure the casualty count merits that particular characterisation of a job well done.”

“When you do what I do, you learn to leave behind the metrics and focus on what was actually achieved.” Theo shrugged. “Besides, the acceptable casualty matrix for that environment was met; I had a margin between sixty and eighty civilians and, sure, children count as double, but the target went down, and collateral levels were…tolerable.” The chimera smirked slightly at the uncomfortable expression on the man across from him. “What’s the matter, doc? You _know_ what I do and who I work for; you have the security clearance needed for us to talk in general terms if not specifics.”

“The loss of any life is tragic, Theo. Don’t you agree?”

“Hmm.” He grunted, resting one arm on the side of the chair and forming a fist for his chin to sit on. “That isn’t what you said when I told you that _I_ was the one who took Monroe and her high level network down.”

“That was different.”

“Really?” Theo grinned at the quick reply. “Why? Because she was an enemy that we could all see? And not the shades of grey from the world I operate in? Or was it because she did terrible things and hunted down kids for being supernatural? Because, perhaps, she _deserved_ to die?”

“It’s just different.” The psychiatrist replied defensively. Silence fell between them as he made a note and Theo shrugged. After a moment, the man caught his eye. “You never said why you did it? Or how you even tracked her down after everything that happened in Beacon Hills. Scott told us that she was dead within six months of the Anuk-Ite’s defeat. Then you turned into a ghost and the first time we meet again was when you walked through my door at the end of last October. So, how did you find her?”

“That’s a lot of years ago, are you really sure you want to go down that path?” Theo frowned as a hand gestured for him to continue. “Huh. I was from Beacon Hills, but it was never my home, not really. And nowhere I went with the Dread Doctors felt like home either. So, it wasn’t hard to move on, especially not after the fighting was done. And we all moved on too, in our own way. You became a shrink for example, and I hear Corey is writing a book about all our adventures-he’ll be a fast selling fantasy author before the year is out!”

“So, you still stay in contact with him?”

“Out of all of them, yeah.” Theo nodded carefully, his eyes locking onto the carpet across the room, mind drifting back to the younger chimera’s megawatt grin and friendly gaze. “He and I…we’re the last chimeras, the Doctor-made ones, anyway. I do try and keep up with Corey, sometimes touch base whenever I’m Stateside, or use electronic eyes to make sure he’s safe. Easy when he’s in living in Virginia and I am…me.”

“You still care about him, don’t you?”

Theo simply grinned and turned away from the topic. “My point was that everyone in Beacon Hills moved on; Liam and Hayden hooked back up, got hitched, and had a kid-or maybe it was a _cub,_ I’m not sure-before they were even twenty-one.”

“Tell me how you really feel, Theo!” The man laughed at Theo’s tone but waved for him to continue. “Been keeping tabs on everyone, huh?”

“It’s what I do best.” He smirked. “I never thought Stiles and I would get another chance to smooth things out, to explain, to…well, Federal Government jobs do have some perks; shared conferences, occasional inter-agency co-operation, even provided him with combat support once, you know, the fun stuff!”

“Uh huh. Do you ever see Malia at those events?”

“No, but I heard she’s doing really well with the Parks Service, I can imagine all that fresh air and running around does her good!” Theo smirked. The smile faded as he cast his mind back over what had prompted this conversation. “So, anyway, the day after it all ended; Scott taking down the Anuk-Ite, the showdown at the school, the deputies in Eichen House, and, uh, Gabe dying in the hospital… After all that, when things were quiet, that’s when Scott came to see me. I remember exactly where I was too; filling up on gas in that service station near the interstate, Pete’s, I think. Do you know it?”

“Yes, I knew it: they turned it into a strip mall, at least, that’s what it was the last time I was home.”

“Huh, figures.” The chimera shrugged, resuming his story. “Scott arrived in Stiles’ Jeep, no sign of the man himself and I guess that was planned, considering what the _almighty_ True Alpha was about to say.”

“So, he did run you out of town?” The man’s brows rose in surprise. “Corey always believed that was why you never came back, he was adamant that you’d return and say goodbye at the very least. We had to stop him from trying to follow you, though that urge fizzled out when Liam started talking. I think Liam just wanted to believe that you never cared about us to begin with. It made it easier for him to be angry at you and in turn made Corey angry at him.”

“We made a good team during the war with the hunters, but that was never going to last in peacetime.” Theo shook his head, ignoring the exasperated expression across from him. “That’s just the way it had to be. And Scott recognized that; he didn’t run me out of town, he wanted me to go after Monroe and finish her off for good. Said that there was no one else he could ask to leave, that there was nothing holding me here, and that I was, haha, how’d he put it? Oh, yes! I was ‘the perfect killing machine; ruthless, vicious, and completely without morals!’”

“That must have resonated with you for you to remember it ten years later.”

“It was a shining moment!” Theo grinned, the warmth of the smile not reaching his eyes. “Scott didn’t know about Gabe and I didn’t tell him. Truth be told, I _wanted_ to go after Monroe. The fact that no one else seemed to care that she had gotten away was infuriating; she had to be held accountable, she had to pay for the blood that was spilled in her name!”

“Hmm.” The psychiatrist made a comment on the notepad and glanced at Theo, lips pursed during the chimera’s growled words. “I’m guessing this is about Gabe again.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because every time you return to the United States from a mission or…operation, or whatever it is that you do on those short trips away, you always have the nightmares-”

“Dreams, not nightmares.” Theo broke in sharply.

“Dreams, then,” The man adjusted, looking intensely at him. “About Gabe, about him getting shot, and about what you did; taking his pain, letting him ease off into death instead of collapsing into it screaming in pain.”

“Very poetic.” The chimera drawled, his shoulders tightening defensively. “You all treated it like it was this watershed moment, like I had finally changed into something…good.”

“Then why did you do it?”

Theo was silent for a few minutes, gazing at the floor again, replaying that night over in his mind’s eye. It wasn’t the suddenness of the hunter’s death or the reactions of those around him that kept haunting Theo, rather it was the shape of things unsaid that lingered in Gabe’s eyes that had drawn Theo in. He wet his lips and glanced at the clock next to them.

“We have plenty of time, Theo.”

“I know.” Theo sighed and nodded, looking at the palm of his hand instead of at the other man, remembering the warm, wet texture of rapidly flowing blood across otherwise smooth skin. “I could see the surprise in his face, could see that he had never expected to be killed, at least, not by gunfire. He wasn’t even looking at me at first, eyes only for Nolan. I don’t know if there was something going on with them that stretched beyond friendship.”

“Well, I think-”

“I don’t need to know either.” Theo cut him off and his brows pulled together in annoyance. “All I saw in his eyes were regret, but not the kind that you or Stiles or Scott or Liam could ever have. This was a recognition that he had chosen the wrong side and was about to pay for it now, right there on the floor of the hospital. Gabe knew he was dying, knew that he didn’t have any more time to make amends for what had happened, what he had done.”

“Go on.”

“When I dream of that moment, it flickers between me and him. I know that everyone in our dreams are just reflections of ourselves, using those bodies to communicate different emotions or problems.”

“That’s one interpretation, yes.”

“Hmm,” The chimera stared down at his hands, almost seeing them stained crimson with Gabe’s blood again. Theo blinked and looked up, his expression frosty. “I took his pain because _I_ wanted to, because I decided that if he was going to go, he’d die quickly, no need for any more suffering. It’s what I did then and what I’ve done every time since then; there’s a reason why I have the reputation I have in the Company: clean, efficient, target dies every time without fail, whether that’s from miles away with a bullet or up close with the claws.”

“I understand why you’re proud, Theo, the limited access I have only grants a sweeping overview of your work for the government, and you have certainly destroyed more than your fair share of threats to this nation.” The man paused, pen poised. “But perhaps you should dial it back, hmm?”

“Oh, I know.” Theo smirked. “What I do is the part of the agency no one wants to admit even exists; as though all those foreign enemies simply…vanish in a puff of sanitized air, maybe a drone strike, if you’re feeling adventurous. I’m good at what I do, and much like Scott wanted, I do the things none of the rest of you had the stomach for. I found Tamora and the rest of her hunters, starting over because, guess what, murderous werewolves aren’t just a Beacon Hills phenomenon.”

“Yeah, I know, Theo.”

“Hmm, Scott regretted it though, after it was done.” Theo shrugged. “Said he wished I hadn’t killed them, had spared her instead. It was a clean kill, mostly, took my time with her, made sure that vengeance was served. The True Alpha didn’t like hearing that at all! But it’s easy to wish your enemies alive when you’re not the one who has to fight them. Everyone treated Scott like a hero, but lest we all forget, it was _Stiles_ that saved his ass at the end of the day. Scott could never kill to protect, not even for Beacon Hills.”

“Most people would consider that to be a positive trait,” The man shifted uncomfortably as Theo looked at him. “Well, maybe you’re right; he certainly left Beacon Hills in a hurry after the news that the hunters had been wiped out began to trickle down through the pack and out to our allies.”

“He cracked; made a decision that he shouldn’t have and has to live with it. But like you said, someone like him can’t have blood on his hands, even if it’s proxy castoff.” The chimera breathed out slowly, dampening down his rising anger and he glanced at the clock again. 

“We still have half an hour, Theo, and you haven’t told me about your mission. As much as I enjoy talking about the past, the Company isn’t paying me to listen to those problems.”

“I know.” The chimera shrugged. “What’s to talk about? I found the target, I killed the target. Job done, _yay America._ ”

“Indeed. Now, tell me about it.”

 

“I take it you’re going to the reunion this weekend?” Theo asked as silence absorbed the time. “That’s why you were asking all that stuff about Beacon Hills? Going to share the juicy gossip with all your old friends?!”

“You know that everything you say here is for these four walls only and that I never talk about what we discuss. I only note things for the Director that are pertinent to your suitability as a, hmm, black ops operator, but never anything truly personal or specific to what we talk about.”

“Hmm, I suppose you always were the most ethical of us all, hmm?” Theo shrugged and reached over the edge of the chair to pick up the glass of water next to him. After a sip, the chimera wetted his lips and shrugged. “You want to know about my mission?”

“Please.”

“The target was a high profile foreign intelligence operative that we had good reason to suspect was about to be disavowed by his home country. What they didn’t know is that he had accessed a large cache of sensitive intelligence on their military preparedness, nuclear capability, and a list of assets that were operational inside the United States.” Theo explained, his expression smoothing out into one of excitement. The chimera leaned forward in his chair and began to use his hands to illustrate his words. “He wanted to sell it all to us; hundreds of millions of dollars that we’d gladly pay to get our hands on that type of intel. Problem was that he wasn’t just talking to us; he had offers from a couple of other countries, and some of them not remotely friendly.”

“So, you pulled off some sort of retrieval mission?”

“Not exactly.” Theo smirked. “I climbed into his hotel room at night, found his stash after dealing with a few of the guards, verified that we weren’t getting what we wanted, that in fact, the entire operation was a set up from the start!”

“That seems…complicated.”

“Sure, but that’s the game we play.”

“Is that when you killed him?” The man’s voice was careful, controlled, but Theo could still hear the silent apprehension.

“No. Why kill one man and destroy his honey pot when you can wait for the flies to gather and then swat them all at once?” Theo settled back and nodded happily. “Like I said to you earlier, a target density of that magnitude was worth fifty civilians being taken out too, a dozen or so children were unfortunate casualties, sure, but I made the right call. Hardly my fault that they gathered in an open air market. Plus, you saw the news, I was so good that everyone is blaming the rebel forces in that region; not the first time they’ve taken terrorist actions. Clean, like I said: everyone died instantly; no wounded, no amputees, perfection.” Theo grinned and pressed his thumb and forefinger together to indicate his satisfaction. “Pure perfection!”

“Huh. _Perfect_ you say…” The man sighed. “Theo, I know it’s your job, but-”

“Well, that’s it, isn’t it?” Theo looked coolly at him. “It all goes back to Gabe, you were there, you saw what happened.”

“You showed mercy, empathy, compassion, even. I can accept that what you do for your country is a calling, a necessary evil, perhaps. But you can’t tell me that taking Gabe’s pain was so cold and clinical a decision as you have described it. There must have been something more than just feeling a bond between yourselves.”

“Why?” The chimera shrugged. "You all said that was the moment my kindness awoke, and I was able to take Gabe's pain because I felt for him. Truth is a little more complicated. I knew Gabe, I felt like I was him, before the fall into Tara’s little torture chamber. I know what it’s like to die screaming in agony and fear, I didn’t want him to have to experience that.”

“But-”

“What? It proves your point?!” Theo glared at him. “Fine, we’ll chalk that up as Compassionate Theo: One, but you have my file, you know that Cold, Ruthless Theo is hovering around about Ten Thousand. And that’s it, doc, because for all the people I’ve killed, I’ve only ever eased _Gabe's_ suffering before death, no one else has gotten that from me.”

“You say that like it’s a badge of honor.” There was a pause as they looked at each other. “Is it perhaps because this is, hmm, ‘sanctioned’ killing?”

“I’m proud to serve my country,” Theo replied stiffly. “I might not be a pilot or a soldier or a congressman, but what I do out there is just as important, just as needed. Scott recognized that need, he didn’t like it, didn’t like the choices it offered him, but he knew what I was and what I could do. Think about it; Monroe would have kept going, kept riling people and hunters up against the supernatural, kept promoting hate and fear and violence against everyone, no matter if they were innocent or guilty, good or evil. You can’t really tell me that what I did was wrong, can you? I took out seven lives to ensure that seven hundred could live in peace.”

“I can see you’re still angry, Theo. Is it because Scott and the pack doesn’t want you to come to the reunion this weekend?”

“No, they extended the invitation, I’m just not sure I want to go and have everyone ignore me. Or rather, ignore what I’ve done for them, but still try and make me feel _welcome._ ” He shrugged as calculating eyes lingered on him and the pen bobbed and weaved across the notepad. After a moment, curiosity got the better of him and Theo leaned forward. “You’re going…so, do you know if Corey will be there?”

“Isn’t he on your side of the country? You both work in Virginia.” 

“Yeah, but he’s over in Amherst, and I’m living in DC, it’s not like we ever get to see each other without effort.” Theo frowned, pre-empting the follow-up question. “I know I can call him, I know that no matter what the rest of you think, Corey will listen. We have a…special connection.”

“That you never made use of.” The tone was thoughtful, the next question more reflective than probing. “But why not, Theo? After Beacon Hills, after he moved East, why didn’t you try and start something with him? I think there’s a reason Corey decided to stay close to the capital, and it’s not because he’s a political animal.”

“Hmph, maybe.”

“ _If_ you do decide to go to this reunion, he’ll be there. He wouldn’t miss the chance to catch up with everyone; Nolan, Liam, the rest of the pack.” 

“No.” Theo shook his head firmly and glanced at the clock as it began its final rotation towards the hour. “I won’t be going. It wouldn’t be fair to look for anything from him, and in my line of work, the fewer weak spots you present, the better.”

“But what about _you,_ Theo? You have to sacrifice everything, any chance of happiness, because you’re afraid of putting him in danger?” The psychiatrist paused, a twist of his lips as a new thought occurred. “Does this have anything to do with what happened with the Hellhound at Eichen House when-”

“I know what happened there.” The chimera growled, eyes flashing yellow for a moment before he was able to regain control. He stood up suddenly and nodded at the clock. “No, we’re not discussing that, my time’s up.”

“I can extend it; I don’t have another client, Theo, and we need to talk about this. You can’t keep dodging around the guilt you feel over what happened to Corey. Theo?” The voice paused as the chimera walked out of the office, scowling. “Theo? Come back!”

“Put it in your report, but I’m not talking anymore.” He shook his head and zipped up his jacket. “Not with you, Mason. Not about this.”

“Alright.” The psychiatrist sighed, gesturing vaguely at the frosted glass at the front of his practice. “If I don’t see you over the weekend, I’ll see you at our next session and we can continue this conversation.”

“Don’t hold your breath.” Theo muttered and turned away abruptly, walking through the glass door and nodding curtly at the receptionist. 

 

The rushing noise of the cars and trucks on the road outside crashed over him as Theo descended the stairs from the upper story of the psychiatrist’s office and came out into the busy street. He felt the familiar weariness weighing down his core, the same sensation after every session, the latest few had been accompanied with a feeling of anger and resentment as Mason continued to probe him about his feelings towards Corey; past, present, or future. Theo turned down the alley nearby and walked slowly towards his car, thoughts pulling at him from all sides.

There was a buzzing in his pocket and the chimera pulled out his phone, glancing at the name on the screen before putting it against his ear. “Yes?”

“It’s me.”

“A situation?” Theo opened the car and slipped inside, shutting the door and encapsulating himself in armored silence. The call transferred to the touchscreen in front of him and Theo nodded at the flashing map, a city being highlighted. “What’s the target?”

“Priority Alpha-79, one of the big players, last seen in Medina with confirmed electronic eyes on…” The voice fell away as Theo stared at his other-private-phone. The blue light blinked slowly, and he pressed the thumbpad, frowning as Corey’s name came up. “…Henderson, can you hear me?”

“Uh, yeah, of course.” Theo ripped his eyes from the unexpected message when he heard his alias being called. “I’ll head back to Langley now, give me an hour in current traffic.”

“Acknowledged.” 

The screen went black and Theo nervously opened the message from Corey, brows pulling together as he skimmed the content. The other chimera was wondering if he was going to be at the reunion this weekend, that perhaps they could both travel together since Corey was leaving from Washington Dulles that night. Theo pressed his lips together tightly, staring at the timestamp. It had been sent while he was in with Mason, before the psychiatrist would have had time to contact Corey. Theo and Corey had exchanged numbers months before at a random meeting in DC, but he never thought he’d actually hear from the man… “I have a mission.” He mumbled, starting up the car and pulling out of the alley onto the street, the autonomous pathing system taking over and leaving his hands free to tap on the steering wheel. “My country needs me.”

_Ah, but doesn’t Corey?_ A treacherous voice whispered in his ear and Theo hesitated over the icon to delete Corey’s text. His finger began to shake as a world of possibilities exploded in front of him; things he’d always wanted, fantasies of laughter and breakfasts in bed and closeness in white cotton sheets. But Theo had never felt secure enough to ask for any of that with anyone, especially not with the last remaining chimera, with whom he felt they always had a special connection. Theo sighed and bowed his head, tapping the reply icon instead, whispering the words as he changed directions away from headquarters. “Sure, Corey, I’ll meet you there.”


End file.
